[Ilhuicatl]

During a brisk conversation in the past, Ilhuicatl made it clear she wanted to speak privately with him later. The meeting place was not too far from the borders. It was along a path starting up into the mountains, where the slopes were still gentle but the trees were old and paled. A twisted up old tree with a red woodpecker living in it marked her chosen meeting point. 

It was no secretive place, there were many flowers that grew here that the cardinal would come to pick, but it was generally quiet. A conversation without prying eyes and ears was something Ilhuicatl preferred. Especially when speaking with a Roc of Wings. 

While she waited, the blue aviari sat silently. Her nose was pointed up as she watched the songbirds flit around. Her eyes lingering on the ones that soared towards the border before disappearing out of sight.

[Itai]

#d11755

Many times had there been comments about the Roc's slinking around the territory, snaking his way around vines and jutting tree roots, stepping over discarded rumble and nimbly hopping river stones. But calling him a snake, would be an insult to all snakes.

Though the hellion had always been a punctual sort, which was more than can be said to the others who shared his rank, not to throws stones (totally throwing stones by the way), but Aine. There'd be a noticeable nonchalance this time however, especially for the fact of who, or rather what he was meeting. A Riverine. Itai wasn't exactly leaping for joy at the thought of this conversation or this company, but he had a civic duty to hear her out (or perhaps he was simply curious).

There last conversation ended abruptly before it even began, had she wanted something? As his tall, yet slender form stepped through the brush the birds startled in the trees and fluttered away into hiding. He watched them curiously for a moment before  his vision snapped to the blue aviari, head raising high as he moved to stand behind her. "You wanted to see me about something, cardinal Ilhuicatl." He stared her down from his muzzle. Yes, I know you.

Long, wispy tail sweeping behind him, lashing like an agitated cat. "Not the most remote location, you know how I am about my privacy." Brows rose, though his expression was clearly amused and smug. "Joking of course, merely joking." Crooked smile curling upon black lips, as Itai sat back on his haunches. "Though I do hope this is something important, I'm a very busy man as I'm sure you know." A paw would raise and long claws would be tediously inspected as he regarded her rather absentmindedly.

"What can the Roc of Wings do for you? Don't be shy, I promise I don't bite." Large ears perking and vivid eyes flickering brightly, somehow it seemed that smile of his grew wider.

[Ilhuicatl]

He arrived. Ilhuicatl counted herself somewhat lucky, and yet at the same time internally assured herself that the real lucky one was Itai. She stood up in his presence before flexing her tail feathers and elegantly curtsying as he spoke first. She had rose and stood straight again well before he had finished talking. This bird could chirp, that was certain. She held a composed but stoic look, only her ears gradually lowering the longer she listened to him jabber. She was patient enough, smiling a little as he grinned.

"Oh, of course, gracious Itai, I wouldn't dream of wasting your time with silence." Or her own with his insufferable presence, that caiman-like smile on his, or the way he curdled her name just by casually speaking it.

Slowly, she turned her gaze out to the horizon, pointing her little nose to the cliffs. They were still a decent ways off from where the two stood. With a wistful tone, she inquired, "I was wondering about the border, and what lies beyond it?" 

Instead of elaborating, Ilhuicatl just sighed, as if she dreamed of something romanticized beyond where her kind had gone. She breathed in, long and deep, before looking at Itai again. She was curious to see what the Roc of Wings would say without any specificities.

[Itai]

#d11755

His smile dimmed just a little when annoyance at her words washed over him. He nearly snorted at her all together, but he was able to hold himself back, be the bigger person. Like he always was of course. Classless Riverines and their childish need to be petty, puh. Itai could simply do without it.

Ears perked slightly as he followed her gaze to the cliffs, brows raising and head would raise just a smidgen higher as a breeze tussled his fur gently. Salt water on the air. Itai would glance at her sideways, oh? This was a curious little question, definitely one he didn't expect, but also one that you sorta had to expect, given what bloodline your were dealing with. "Thinking of turning traitor and leaving?" Crooked grin pulled up his black lips and bright eyes narrowed menacingly like he had just been fed with a chunk of juicy information.

"You smell that? The salt on the air? The ocean, beyond that, wolves I guess, other places. Both similar and different than this one." He gave a sagely nod. "I'm a hellion of science of course, so I'd hypothesize different biomes, with different flora and fauna." Ears pulled back to the whistling call of a bird, and he'd huff. "The ravens would know better, Roc Kaxlan, that is. But they haven't been out for some time now." On account of a war and all.

The hellion's studious gaze would fall upon the blue aviari then. "Was this really what you wanted to know? Dragging me up here for this?" He craned his neck slightly, there had to be more than just that though. "I'd suggest becoming a raven to fill your exploration kicks, it's a lot less illegal than just, ya know, leaving." Long claws tapped on the ground, as he smiled at her in smarmy sort of way.

[Ilhuicatl]

He outright accused her of wanting ditch El Dorado. Ilhuicatl laughed slowly through a closed smile, most definitely insulted on some level, but not making an outburst in any way. She was still composed, held highly, as Itai went on to explain some of what he knew. She did clearly have an interest in the information, her eyes flicking out to the cliffs again, but just as quickly coming back to Itai with a hard stare as he mentioned the other Roc.

She drew out a breath from her nostrils, disdainful, more than likely internally annoyed with his claw-tapping, and drawling out a disappointed, "no... That was not all I wanted to speak to you about. I was hoping to discuss the potential herbs out there. I think we both know I was destined to be a Cardinal in both heart and body. I'm much too delicate for the role of a Raven." She had extended one foreleg as she spoke, as if displaying, right in front of his nose, how thin her long limbs were. When she set her paw back down, she added through sighed words, "or a Roc. We are lucky to one clever Roc of Wings." 

The blue cardinal sat down and leaned in a little. Her hard stare had turned to something softer, though more than likely without any amount of earnest feelings. In a lower tone, she continued. "Roc Itai, you do look after so much already but the borders and Ravens are such a vital responsibility... To be honest, as a healer, I am concerned to hear about this; do you truly think it is good for Roc Klaxlan to know more about that sort of thing than you?" 

Ilhuicatl had emphasized that 'x' in Klaxlan's name. Those x names, it sure was a very Obsidian family thing to do.

[Itai]

#d11755

Delicate? Itai merely rose a brow at this, doing his very best to keep his own comments to himself. Riverine weren't exactly known as delicate, that was a first, though maybe she was referring to brittle bones. Delicate, pah. Not to call a cow a cow, but she was a cow. He snickered to himself at the thought, giving a glinty toothed smile. "You were saying about the herbs? I'd assume there's a vast majority of different species out there, probably some undiscovered ones too. It's been a long time since those scrolls were updated."

Large ears perked forward for a moment before drawing back, shooting her a rather quizzical look. The vivid pink of his eyes glared darkly. "You know my thoughts on the matter, I've expressed them quite openly before. I, of course, believe that no one can run these ranks as smoothly as I can. Not Aine and surely not Klaxlan. However, they were appointed to those roles, I'm not going to step on their toes." Even if he had already, oops. "If Klaxlan is going to be the Roc of Ravens, then she'd better some knowledge of the world outside, try all she wants I don't she'd ever know as much as me." She was an Obsidian after all, small brain and not much room for anything else besides anger.

"You seem so interested in the dynamics between the Rocs, Ilhuicatl." He paused as he craned his neck toward her, the silky fur of his neck ruffling slightly as his eyes narrowed to scrutinize her expression. "As a simple, and pardon me for saying this, mediocre at best, healer. I'd have to wonder why the sudden interest. I mean after all this was all about herbs, correct?" Crooked grin curled upon his lips pleased as punch.

But then the idea occurred to him, with a flick of his long tail and a twitch of one of his ears. "Orrrrr, are you in the market for seeking a favor? Which I'd be much obliged to help you, for a fair price." The hellion flashed her a toothy grin. "After all, you niece recently paid me a visit asking for a favor, and as a upstanding member of the pack I couldn't just turn her away." So what will it be?